Bottle crate



Nov. 12, 1929. J. F.-- MAURER, JR

BOTTLE CRATE Filed March 14, 1928 Illllllllll l- WITNESS ES g fifw 7 4M Patented Nov. 12, 1929 JOHN F. MAURER, JR; or wooDcL IFF, NEW JERSEY ,IBVOTVTLE CRATE- Application filed am '14, 19281 Serial na'zenseoq This invention relates to crates or boxes which are particularly designed for transporting milk bottles although not necessarily limited to such use, and thesame is in the nature of an improvement over myprior United States Letters Patent Nos. 1,635,133 and 1,328,748.

The invention primarily comprehends in a crate which includes transverse and longitudinal brace rods, nonmetallic vertically arranged'partitionelements of asize' and spaced in such a manner as to preventcontact of thebottles with each other and with the rods for the purpose of reducing chipping and breakage of the bottles,-as well as minimizing the noise incident to the transportation and delivery of the bottles." i

As a further object, theinvention comprehends improved partition elements of the character described which serve as a means for supporting cracked ice aroundthe upper portion of the bottles at and above the cream line, thus permitting the ice drippings to rundown and cool the remainder of the bot tles in which the milk is contained.-

As a, still further object, the invention contemplates partition elements which eflect a sufficient frictional gripping of the bottles to prevent displacement thereof when the,

crates-are tilted or set on end. V c

The invention further embodies in a crate of the characterset forth, a slattedbottoin construction composed of transversely spaced slats spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the bottle necks-and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the bottoms of the bottles, together with brace rods'extending medially between the slats and below the upper ,sur-

faces thereof whereby the bottles when inverted will be supported bytheir neck ends resting upon said rods, 'so that the crates filled with the inverted bottles: may be passed 5 through a suitable spray jet-washing ma v chine.

59 cause the bottles to center within-each of the receiving compartments formed between the with the invention Another object of the invention is longitudinal and transverse brace rods when the bottlesare-inserted into, thelatter, in invertedpositions. r

Other objects of the invention reside in the comparative simplicity of construction of the crate, the economy with which the same may be produced. and'the general ef ficiency derived therefrom. r i With the above'reciteoland other objects in view, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which there is exhibited oneexampleo'r embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a crate constructed in accordance Figure 2 is" a longitudinal sectionallview therethrough taken approximately on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1", illustratingthe bottles in place and the manner in which the cracked. I

ice is supported by the partition members Figure 3 is a transversely fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 11 and illustrating the bot tles intheir inverted position. I 7

"Referring to'the drawings by characters ofrefer'ence, the crate includes sideand end walls 10-1 0 and 11-11 and transversely spacedside and intermediate longitudinally extending slats 12-12 and 13-13. [The side slats 12 have inwardly beveled or inclined npper'surfaces 14;while the intermediate slats 13, have joppo'sitelyi beveled orchamfe'red 1 upper corners 15, the purpose of whi'ch' will be hereafter set forth. The crate is further divided with longitudinalupper and'llovv'er brace rods 16 'andl? and transvefseupper and lower brace rods 18 and19 which are i i suitably attac'hed'to the end and side-walls 10 and '11' respectively. The lower longitu-,. dinal brace rods 17 are disposed in a plane belowth'e upper surfaces of the bottom slats 13 and 14:, and in addition to servingasbrace rods are adaptedto support the necks N ofthe bottles'B' when the same are inverted-in the crate. 7 To permitthe'necks to extend below the upper surfaces of the-bottom. slats, the said bottom slats arespaced apart a dis tance slightly greater than the diameter "of 'tles will be supported when in an upright position upon the upper surfaces of the slats and above and out of contact with the lower 7 longitudinal brace rods 17 v the crate to separate the bottles from con- In order to provide means for partitioning tact with each other and from contact with the brace rods 16, 18 and 19, vertically disposed longitudinally and transversely spaced nonmetallic partition elements are superimposed upon the intermediate bottom slats 13 and extend upwardly therefrom to a point approximately where the cream line'L obtains. The partition elements 20 are preferably in the nature of wooden posts approximately square having chamfered or beveled corners 21 which are further intersected at the upper ends by beveled portions 22. In order to connect the partition elements or posts 20 within the intermediate slats 13 to prevent shiftingof the elements or posts, dowels 23 extend partially into the bottom of the elements and partially into the slats. The transverse dimensions of the partition elements or posts 20 are such astofrictionally grip the bottles and maintain the same out of contact with each other and with the wires or rods 16, 18 and 19.

In use, when the filled bottles are arranged in the crate, as illustrated in Figure 2, it will be observed that the upper ends of the partition elements or posts 20 which substantially fill in the space between the bottles serve to support cracked ice I around the upper por tion of the bottle which contains the cream and which incidentally is subject to souring action quicker than the milk contained therebelow. The drippings from the crackedice I flowing over the remaining lower portions of the bottles is sufficient to maintain the milk cool and against souring action. The frictionalengagement ofthe partitions with the bottlesis suflicientto prevent their displacement when the crate is tilted or set on end, and it is obvious that due to the fact that the I 7 bottles are maintained in a-position out of contact with the metal rods and are engaged only by non-metallic' or wooden surfaces, chipping, breaking'or rattling of the bottles in transit or in handling of the crates is pre- 1 1 vented or minimized.

In View of the fact that it is the common practice: to cleanse the bottles by inverting the same in the crate and passing the crate througha washing machine in which jets of cleansing solution are projected upwardly through the slatted bottom, the present crate is ideally adapted for follows that when the bottles are. inverted the necks N, which are of a diameter less than the e spacing of the bottom slats,'will fall in between and rest upon the lower longitudinal this purpose, and it rods 17. In this connection, the upper inclined surfaces 14 of the side slats 12 and the upper chamfered or beveled corners 15 of the intermediate slats serve to guide the necks into the proper position illustrated in Figure 3.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. A milk bottle crate comprising a body open at its upper and lower sides, slats spaced across and within 7 the lower side of said body for supporting the bottles in an upright position thereon, and members also extending across the lower side of said body and between the said slats, said members being disposed below the upper sides ofsaid slats to support the bottles thereon when the latter are inverted.

2. A milk bottle crate including end and side walls, a bottom wall composedof transversely spaced slats spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the bottle necks and spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the bottle bottoms, longitudinal and transverse brace rods carried by the side and end walls of the crate, certain of the longitudinal brace rods being disposed centrally between adjacent slats and in a plane below the upper surface of the slats whereby the bottoms of the bottles are supported above and out of contact with V slightly greater than the diameter of the bot- 'tle necks and spaced apart a distanceslightly less than the diameter of the bottle bottoms, longitudinal and transverse brace rods carried by the side and end walls of thecrate, certain of the longitudinal brace rods being disposed centrally between adjacent slats and in a plane below the upper surface of the slats wherebythe bottoms of the bottles-are supported above and out of contact with said brace rods and whereby the bottles when inverted will be supported from the said brace rods by their neck ends, the said slats having chamfered or beveled upper. surfaces for guiding the bottle necks when inverted between the slats to rest upon the longitudinal blrace rods which are disposed between the s ats.

V 4; A milk bottle crate comprising a body open at its upper and lower sides, slats spaced across and within the lower side of said body for supporting the bottles in an upright position thereon, and members also extending across thelower side of said body and between the said slats, saidmembers being disposed below'the upper sides of said slats to support the bottles thereon when the latter are inverted,the upper opposed edges of said slats being chamfered or beveled to guide the bottles into positions of rest on said members When inverted.

5. A milk bottle crate comprising a body open at its upper and lower sides, slats spaced across and Within the lower side of said body for supporting the bottles in an upright position thereon, means for dividing the interior of said body into a plurality of bottle receiving compartments above said slats, and members also extendingacross the lower side of said body and between the said slats, said members being disposed below the upper sides of said slats to support the bottles thereon When the latter are inverted, the upper opposed edges of said slats bein chamlered or beveled to guide the bottles into positions of rest on said members When inverted.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 12th day of March, A. D. 1928.

JOHN F. MAURER, JR. 

